The Best Way to Talk About Money With Your Mate

You've been together for a while and are talking next steps. Congrats! But if you've never talked money, now's the time: You want to move forward with eyes open. No one's saying it's fun, but Jonathan Clements, director of financial education at Citi Personal Wealth Management, has tips to make it at least 50 percent less painful.

STEP 1 Save the discussion for a calm afternoon when you're both in a good mood and have a free hour.

STEP 2 Say something like, "Hey, before we start looking at apartments/rings/dogs, can we talk finances?"

STEP 3 Go first. You want to tell him about your salary, your savings and any debt. These are the big things you need to know about each other to determine your budget for rent, bills, life. Try: "I'm currently paying X in rent. I don't think I can afford more than that because I still have Y in student loans to pay off and my salary is only Z. What about you?"

STEP 4 If it turns out he's got debt, don't freak. Ask him how he's repaying it. If he has a plan in place, fab. If he's happiest ignoring the issue, put the brakes on those big plans. He has to get a handle on his baggage before it potentially becomes yours.